One Year Anniversary: Me + My House

Exactly one year ago, David and I moved into our humble little abode. Even though we owned our previous house, it wasn't exactly home to us. To be quite honest, we weren't in love with it. But, the minute we found our current 1952 ranch in our house hunting process, we knew it was "the one." And we've been blissfully happy and in love with it ever since!

In honor of our beloved little casa, I thought I'd share our BEFORE/AFTER tour so you can see where our little home was when we moved in and where it is today! It's kind of a lengthy post, but totally worth it ; )

Front Yard

BEFORE

AFTER

Here's the fall version of our front yard.

Living Room

BEFORE

AFTER- We repainted the walls slightly darker and brought in our neutral, light and airy style! Here is how we picked out our paint style.

DURING- The first steps we took in this room was to change out the lighting and purchased a dining room table- check out the details of that here.

AFTER- Now, we've painted the dining room chair rail and trim a bright, crisp white (still need to paint the plantation blinds white!) and the walls a deep navy for some fun contrast. I also started a collection of vintage chairs to paint white and add around the table.

AFTER- Luckily, we didn't have to do much with the kitchen, as the previous owners had already remodeled with custom cabinets, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. But, we have painted the buhgeezes out of every surface in the kitchen- cabinets, trim, windows, walls, etc.

AFTER- Alright, so I'm going to cheat and not post a current picture of the sunroom, as we can't even compete with the gorgeous leather chair and rug the previous owners had in this room. With only two of us in the house, we haven't had a need for this space yet. It is currently sitting empty but we'll get to it at some point!

Master Bedroom

BEFORE- The master was used by the previous owners as a little boy's bedroom (complete with BB gun holes in the wall, lucky us!).

AFTER- Check out the master bedroom renovation here and the more recent updates here.

With some DIY art on the walls and some fresh paint, this room has become a nice little sanctuary for us!

BEFORE

AFTER

A pop of color with our spray-painted royal blue nightstands.

DIY curtains (see below for tutorial link).

BEFORE

AFTER- We had to do something about all of the doors in that tiny space, so we opted for curtains in lieu of closet doors. Check out the curtain tutorial here.

AFTER- Unfortunately, this room is currently sitting empty and we haven't done a thing with it yet. But check out the beadboard on the ceiling- love it!

Guest Bathroom

BEFORE

AFTER- Well, we actually haven't touched this room yet either! The previous owner left the funky mirror and lighting and, while it's not exactly our style (check out the purple ceiling!), we're rolling with it for now! Maybe after we finish the renovation of our master bathroom.... : )

AFTER- We've also done a lot of work on the pool, including putting a new liner in. Lots of ideas and lots of potential back here, but our goal for now is just to get and keep everything cleaned up!

BEFORE

AFTER- One of the biggest projects we (okay, okay, maybe not "we"... more like David!) have tackled was to pull up all of the ivy along the back of the swimming pool. You can see, below, the awesome wall that David built in place of the ivy (and rotting railroad ties found underneath). Looks amazing!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!! Looking back, I'm so proud : ) David and I have worked so hard to make this house our home and I think we've done a great job, if I do say so myself. Happy one year anniversary, little casa!!

Hello! Your link is beside mine on BNOTP so I decided to visit. I enjoyed your before and after photos. Love all your rugs and the way you've freshened up everything. The pool looks so inviting! I know you can't wait to use it.http://cottageatthecrossroads.com

I can't believe you guys got all this done in one YEAR! It's really amazing. I had seen most of the befores and afters through stalking your tabs earlier (what?) but it was fun to have them all in one place to go through again, and to have more of a timeline. I am drooling over waiting for the bathroom redo grand reveal--where did you find the hexagonal tile for the shower floor (right?)?

Oh, Michelle! So fun to see that journey. You guys have accomplished so much in such a short time. I just love the backyard shots. What time is the pool party. And how fun to have a great basement . . . something we are deprived of out west. Always love seeing your posts.

You should be so proud, Michelle! It was great seeing all your hard work in one place. You guys have done so many amazing things in that house! Love it all! P.S. What time should I head over for the pool party? :)

Congrats on one year! you guys have done soooooo much work in a short amount of time. well done!

The dining room of the previous owners is very gothic (could not imagine enjoying that space with the heavy chairs and light) Your dining room however- I could enjoy a nice drop of wine & with the added conveniance of the nearby wine rack I would be happy to stay a while.

I seriously love your home. It's so cute and filled with so much character.

Can I ask you an unrelated question? What do you guys do to keep your pool crystal clear??? We are having such a hard time with our pool right now, trying to get rid of the algae ugh!!! [we keep shocking it and shocking it too...]

How fun to see your before and afters! You've been busy and I love how you've updated your house and put your personality into it! It's gorgeous and that sunroom is such a lovely space. That'll be a fun room to decorate someday!

I read every word and looked at each and every photo.....you all have done a magnificient job with your home! It is truly lovely and so inviting and homey feeling. I can see why you fell in love with the house! Our home was built in the late 1960's and we have lived here for the last 37 years. During that time, we have worked on it continously.....LOL....so I understand about making it "yours"......love it, and you all enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Thanks for this post! It totally gave me hope for my casa! I'm celebrating 10 months and hope it will turn out as cute as yours! It is amazing how some of the simple projects will change the look so drastically- I painted my shutters and front door this weekend and BOOM! huge change!! LOVE your BLOG!

Wow, so much hard work. I originally came over here for the garden wall but as a bonus i saw the striped wall in your office. I want to do this in my craft room. I love it. I just can't decide what color. Maybe i will get the nerve soon. Thanks for the inspiration.ladeedacreations.com

The bones of the house were outstanding. I can see why you knew it was the one! Even under the pink bedroom you can see the beautiful windows. And all that wainscoting! You've done an amazing job of refreshing. I would spend all my days in your breakfast room!

Meet Michelle

I'm a southern gal with an eye for young traditional design. I'm a self-proclaimed painter, crafter, decorator and do-it-yourselfer. Also a wife + momma to two preschoolers and a baby on the way. Welcome to Ten June!